About Daniel Balavoine Daniel Balavoine (Alençon, 5 February 1952 – 14 January 1986) was a French singer and songwriter. He was hugely popular in the French-speaking world, and inspired many singers in the 1980s, such as Jean-Jacques Goldman, and Michel Berger, his closest friend. He took part in French political life, and is known for a 1980 televised verbal confrontation with François Mitterrand. In the French music-business, Balavoine earned his own spot with both his acute and powerful voice and his lyrics, full of sadness and revolt. He was emphatic, his songs are for a most valuable part talking about despair, pain, death. Hope was under unclaimed, still present anyway.